Your Chosen Path
by Cat5
Summary: The introduction of the Emperor's daughter changes the original story quite dramatically.
1. A Strange Response

Disclaimer: All of the characters, except Cari, are not my own in any way, shape or form, and I do not claim them as such.

Synopsis: The introduction of a new player drastically changes the course of the original story.

Chapter 1: A Strange Response

During the end of The Empire Strikes Back

Slipping through the panicky crowd on Cloud City, Cari, daughter of the Emperor Palpatine, ruler of the Galactic Empire, was almost completely unnoticed. What was occurring here - the desperate attempts of everyone to vacate the city before the Imperial troops decided to notice them - was of little concern to her. Neither was the battle between Vader and the Jedi Skywalker of anything more than a slight interest to her. Rounding a corner, she came to a silent corridor. Everyone had long gone. She slipped through the door at the end, keeping alert for anyone who might be around, but the landing pad through the door also was deserted, except for the X-wing that stood on it.

She smiled in satisfaction. The troops had obviously neglected to do anything with it, more concerned with capturing the renegades who were trying to escape from the city. Walking over to it she climbed inside. Unfamiliar with the controls, she spent some time studying them before attempting anything, concerned that she might accidentally damage the information that she was looking for. Finally, she reached out, and checked the flight logs. Just as she'd hoped, the young Jedi had left them untouched, obviously assuming that he would be able to get back to his ship after the confrontation.

The second name in the logs she assumed was the one she was looking for, and the third one confirmed it. Most recent was the destination of Cloud City, and before that was the planet of Dagobah. After that was the ice planet of Hoth, which the Rebellion had, until recently, had their main base on. So ... Dagobah.

What Cari, Vader and her own father had noticed was that Skywalker had been growing in power since he'd left Hoth. What neither of them seemed to have realised, as far as she could tell, was that for this to happen, someone must have been training him. The growth in power and skill she could feel was too strong for it to be self-taught. Perhaps the other two assumed that he had been taught enough by Obi-Wan Kenobi before his death for Skywalker to now teach himself, but after consulting records, and making a trip to Tatooine, Cari had determined that before appearing in Mos Eisley Spaceport a few years before, Luke Skywalker had lived with his Aunt and Uncle, with little or no connection with Kenobi. The time he had spent with him shouldn't have been adequate for real tuition. So, there had to be another teacher.

Smiling to herself, Cari manipulated the controls, and sent the X-wing soaring through the atmosphere, into space. She was momentarily surprised to see the ship she recognised as the Millennium Falcon skimming through space, with Skywalker's presence on it obvious through his presence in the Force. So, Vader had obviously failed to some degree at least. Smiling, she shook her head, and entered co-ordinates in the X-wing's nav-computer, planning to go somewhere quiet and consider the report she would make to her father about her beliefs of Skywalker's tuition. She caught Vader's message through the Force to his son, obviously still attempting to turn him. That he hadn't given up didn't surprise her. What did was Skywalker's response to it. She felt through him fear, anger and desperation, but also something that felt surprisingly like love. Weak, faint but definitely there. Cari laughed, the sound echoing within the confined cockpit. Everything the Empire had done to him, and he still thought he could love his father? However, the response from Vader was even more ... confusing. She felt mild frustration, but also a blend of amusement, pride, and even a vague hint of affection glinting at the edge of his mind. Where was the bitter anger that usually characterised him? The lethal response to any kind of frustration? Incredulous, she laughed again, "seeing" in Vader's mind the offer he had made to his to his son during their confrontation, to join together and overthrow the Emperor, ruling together. He actually wanted his son for family's sake, not just as someone to turn and use. Vader cared about his own son?

Slowly, her laughter died. But she could still hear echoes of it in the cockpit. Bitter and somehow angry, it was the sound of amusement at something that actually wasn't very amusing, but was painful to someone. A familiar sound, she heard it often from her father. She didn't ever think she'd heard him laugh properly. You've never felt any love from him either, a little voice whispered, and for a second the view in front of her seemed to waver. Then her anger crystallised, and her vision steadied. I serve him, she declared. My father is great, and powerful, and he's taught me everything I know. Strangely, as she pulled the lever that sent the X-wing through hyperspace, the thought wasn't as comforting as it should have been.


	2. My Own Path

Disclaimer: All of the characters, except Cari, are not my own in any way, shape or form, and I do not claim them as such.

Chapter 2: My Own Path

Between The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi

The ship came smoothly out of hyperspace, and came to rest above the planet. Dagobah. 

Cari looked thoughtfully at it, using the ship's sensors to scan it, checking for any surprises. With a Jedi living here, anything might be possible. The only surprise was that there was nothing here, no cities, no defence equipment. Just massive life form readings. She couldn't distinguish, with either the computer's senses or her own through the Force, where this Jedi was. If there even was a Jedi here. Not for the first time since she'd began this trip, she regretted that she hadn't informed anyone where she was going. Not even her father. This was one possible threat to the Empire she was going to fix herself.

She sighed, then decided to land her ship in a clearing near the largest clump of life signs. She angled the ship down, and soon plunged into the white mist that shrouded most of the planet's surface. With her normal vision blinded, she reached out confidently through the Force, and hit a blank. She couldn't seem to penetrate the swirling mist. Frantically she battled, her instincts for survival fighting her panic, and also her trained responses. It wasn't until the shiptn crashed into the swamp and came to an abrupt halt that she realised, finally, that what was blocking her had probably been the use of Force by someone else. So the Jedi was here.

The door at the side of her ship hissed open part way, before getting stuck. Muttering irritably, she climbed through the gap, then balancing precariously on top of the door, she pulled in a deep breath, and leaped, somersaulting through the air, to land on flat ground at the end of the swamp. She stumbled as she hit the ground, falling and rolling on the muddy floor, finally managing to pull herself up with a grimace of distaste. 

She turned, trying uselessly to wipe the muck off her black trousers and dark grey tunic. She stood, scowling at her ship, which was now firmly embedded in the swamp. It _was_ her ship - she'd transferred the nav logs from Skywalkers X-wing, then placed it in storage until she returned. This was her own ship. Her father had offered to have one built for her, but she'd bought one with her own money, and refitted it herself. She was the only one who knew most of the specs. She reflected that one of the most surreal moments of her life had been when Vader had come to discuss something with her, and ended up offering advice on how to improve some parts. He'd even rebuilt some of it himself. It wasn't an image that fit well with Vader's imposing presence. That was one of the few times she'd heard him actually laugh. A genuine, amused sound. It hadn't lasted long, and he'd left, even more angry than he usually was. Cari still wasn't exactly sure why.

She shook her head, trying to focus on her current situation. Taking a deep breath, she reached out through the Force, grasping the ship and yanking it out of the swamp, her irritation at the situation adding extra strength to her current abilities. The ship jerked upwards, then floated towards her. She settled it on safe ground, then, trying not to pant with exhaustion, she reached out, trying to find the Jedi. Strangely enough, it was now easy. He wasn't trying to disguise himself, but shone brightly through the Force, beckoning her.

She set off, striding through the undergrowth, her irritation mounting as she had to untangle herself from bushes, tripping over hidden roots, only just avoiding hidden puddles and holes. She could understand her father's dislike of uncivilised planets, where the ecology was untamed and left to grow freely. She'd missed it, when she was a child. She'd spent all her time with tutors, at the Imperial palace, on different worlds, many different places, learning the skills necessary for service to her father when she was older. The only time she'd spent outside corridors and rooms was when she'd been taught survival in different situations, and even then, her time outside had been minimal. Now, she spent most of her time in civilisation, carrying messages, killing people, making subtle moves whose value wasn't even immediately noticeable. Her father and The Emperor were the only two left alive who even knew who she was - one of her first real acts as her father's agent had been to kill the last tutor left who knew of her existence.

Her musing came to an end as she saw the ... creature in front of her. She'd come expecting a Jedi at least, perhaps a Jedi Master, but she'd somehow assumed that it would be human. She wasn't precisely sure what this thing was, except small, and grubby and old, but she could feel that it was strong in the Force. She forced back a wave of revulsion as she regarded the ... thing.

Yoda shook his head, feeling each wave of emotion that rolled through the figure before him. He'd felt her approach, noted the strange mixture of darkness and light that swirled within her. "Send children to do his work for him, he does" Yoda criticised, shaking his head regretfully.

"I came of my own accord, old one" Cari challenged disdainfully. "He didn't need to send me".

"Kill me, would you?" Yoda questioned calmly. The girl smiled.

"The Empire's laws require your death. You should not have lived this long, old one."

"Have you a name, young one?" Yoda inquired wryly.

Strangely, he felt a flicker of amusement in the girl, one which was quickly buried by anger, and overwhelming pride. Tilting her chin, the girl declared "I am Cari, daughter to the Emperor." Yoda nodded slowly, thinking that this explained the girl's disturbing strength in the Force.

"And you?"

Yoda sighed softly, then straightened, feeling the ache in his bones, the weariness of his mind. "Yoda, I am".

Cari stared at the creature before her. She'd heard of Yoda, although she probably shouldn't have. Her father and Vader had destroyed most of the records of the Jedi before the Empire, but she'd still seen some reports about Yoda. This wasn't what she had expected. She had long been taught that the Jedi in the Old Republic had been arrogant, self-serving and flawed, and although she also secretly believed that these reports were biased, nothing had prepared her for this. This ... thing, this poor creature was old, and tired. No threat to anyone. Furthermore, she felt running through him ripples of humour, a clean, amused sense of laughter in his mind, despite fears, and regrets, and tiredness. She stared at him, some of her certainty gone. He didn't seem repulsive now - the wisdom in his voice, the tired nobility in his eyes countering her learned aversion to all non-humans. 

Yoda sensed the confusion within the girl, and sighed inwardly. He'd been hoping to save his strength, concentrating on keeping alive until Luke returned. And he was sure that the boy would return. Now though, Yoda might not be alive to welcome him back. Bracing himself, he reached out, flooding the girl's mind with the Force. She hadn't been expecting it, and if she had, she would have been expecting a physical attack. Instead, Yoda filled her mind with visions, memories of the wisdom and nobility of the old Jedi Council, examples of fear and pain and suffering spreading across the galaxy as Vader and the Emperor came into power. His memory of the death of Alderaan, all the deaths he'd felt... his strength failed, and he broke off. But the visions inside the girl's head remained, and Yoda grimaced as more joined them ... being raised in the cold, sterile and loveless environment of the Empire, killing and subverting at her father's whim, an endless parade of evil and horror. Yoda felt the girl's mind weaken, beginning to collapse in upon itself, insanity seemingly the only option for one whose carefully constructed mental barriers and wilful blindness had just been destroyed. He tried to reach out, wondering if he could heal the girl's mind, chiding himself that he should have anticipated this, but even as he did, he felt the shift in her mind as she discovered an alternative to insanity.

She'd sunk to her knees, but now she straightened up, dark green eyes ice cold despite the tears so recently spilled. She smiled, a wryly amused smile, and inclining her head said softly "Thank you". Yoda eyed her dubiously. Her mind was closed from him now in a way it hadn't been even when she'd approached with the intention of killing him, but even so he'd caught her thoughts before this new barrier fell into place.

"To the Dark side, hate leads" he warned her, wondering if he'd made matters better or worse.

"So everyone tells me" she agreed, "although usually they aren't quite so worried about it." She eyed him carefully, then shrugged, and said "As it is, I think this is the best way to go about things, don't you think?"

"Fight your father, if you must, but hate him you must not."

Cari shrugged, and giving him a cool smile spun and began to walk away. "Reaching out with a tendril of Force, Yoda twisted a root, wrapping it about her foot and dumping her to the ground." "Hey" she cried indignantly, twisting around to look at him. Ambling forwards, he slipped his stick under her chin, tilting her face up towards him.

"The path you have chosen is not a wise one. Anakin all but destroyed the Jedi, I will not allow you to finish what he started."

In case you hadn't noticed," Cari replied, using the Force to unwrap the root and twist smoothly to her feet, "it's not the Jedi I'm going after. My father can in no way be classified as a Jedi."

"If you give in to the dark side..."

"Yes, I know" she snapped impatiently, "but it's a little too late for that now. I'm going to do something useful with my life for once, so stop stalling me". Shaking her head, she gave Yoda a rueful smile and turned, walking away, again trying to wipe mud from her clothes.

It wasn't until she reached her ship, and sat down, that she began to cry again.


	3. Chance For Redemption

Disclaimer: All of the characters, except Cari, are not my own in any way, shape or form, and I do not claim them as such.

Chapter 3: Chance For Redemption

Vader swept through the corridor of the partially completed Death Star, heading for his quarters. One part of the station that was completed, along with the actual weapon of the station, and the Emperor's "throne room". Vader growled in disgust, thinking of that particular piece of conceit. He was less and less tolerant of his master, as time went by, although it had become a lot worse since Cloud City...

He shook his head in disgust. A lot of things had changed since then, him most of all. He'd gone with the intention of capturing the boy, most likely without even revealing Luke's heritage. Instead, they'd fought, and he'd been impressed despite himself by the boy's skill. If he wanted to admit it to himself, he was impressed, proud, nostalgic for his own growing abilities as a trainee, and more than a little regretful that he'd cut the boy's hand off. He of all people should know something about that, he reflected, staring at his own right hand. It was becoming more and more difficult to banish these kind of thoughts, to hide his dissatisfaction with his life and situation, a dissatisfaction that could be lethal when one was serving the Emperor.

He frowned, thinking about his son. He was certain that the Emperor was setting something up, something to do with this battle station, and with his son. Another attempt to turn Luke? He wished he actually had someone to discuss his thoughts with - being a dark lord wasn't conducive to gaining confidants, but it was with some shock that he realised he was wishing that Luke's mother was around, or even Qui-gon. It had taken him a long time to appreciate his original benefactor's wisdom. Angrily, he dismissed the thoughts and finally swept into his quarters.

Which were already lit. The faint nagging tingle he'd been feeling through the Force abruptly swelled into full blown concern, and his hand dropped to his lightsaber...

"Oh, relax" a surprisingly good-natured voice called from the side, and he completed his half-begun surveillance of the room to see the Emperor's daughter, Cari leaning against the wall. Vader frowned.

"I had not been informed of your presence".

"That's because no one knows." She shrugged, then qualified "Oh, a couple of people know that an Imperial shuttle landed a short while ago, and someone might vaguely remember that there was a messenger on board." She grinned. "Useful thing, the Force."

Vader examined her carefully. She looked exhausted, and as if she'd lost weight over the last few days. She was mostly successful at blocking him out of her mind, but he caught a vague glimpse of swirling confusion. "Why are you here?"

"The Emperor's sent one of his agents to Tatooine".

Vader frowned. The Emperor? He'd not spoken to the girl in several months now, but he used to converse with her quite regularly, and would swear she usually called the Emperor 'father'. Secondly, she seemed unusually light-hearted in manner, despite her obvious exhaustion. Thirdly... "Tatooine?"

She eyed him carefully, then smiled mockingly and said "You really have been out of it on here haven't you?" Patiently she explained "Captain Han Solo was taken to the Hutt on Tatooine after you'd finished with him, and his companions will be going after him - Leia Organa and..."

"Luke!" Vader interrupted, his mind working furiously. "The Emperor has sent someone to capture him."

"No"

Vader scowled at her flippant response, although the effect was somewhat mitigated by his breathing mask. "What do you mean?"

"Not capture. Kill. It seems he's pretty worried about Skywalker."

Vader stood frozen for a moment, then spun with a swirl of black cloak, heading towards the door. If he reached his ship, he might be able to ...

"Fortunately," the already forgotten girl's voice said, " the agent won't get there. I've arranged for her to be intercepted. If she lives through that, she won't reach Tatooine in time to do anything."

Vader spun back again. "Why?" he demanded, taking several menacing steps towards the girl. If she was playing on the Emperor's games...

The girl smiled, shrugged, "Because" she answered mockingly. Then as Vader took another step closer, the facade disappeared, leaving the girl's face set with icy resolution. "Because," she said again softly, "what we are doing is wrong, and I've finally decided to do something about it." She took a step away from the wall, towards Vader, her dark eyes earnest. "My father is evil. Pure, unadulterated evil, and so is this Empire of his. And anything to do with it - me, you, this station. The destruction of Alderaan cannot be justified, and that's just one example of a thousand atrocities that have been permitted during my father's reign. It stops here, and I'm going to stop it. But I'm going to give you a chance."

Vader looked thoughtfully at her. He ought to act, report her to the Emperor, challenge her accusations... "What kind of chance?"

Cari smiled again. "Your son." She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Looking past Vader, staring at the blank wall, she began. "The Emperor has a plan. The Rebellion know about this battle station, and that he will shortly be visiting here. They don't know that the weapons part of the station is complete, they think it's non-operational. They're going to attack here, and when they do, he's going to destroy them. End of Rebellion."

"So?" Vader inquired. This didn't really have anything to do with him.

"So" the girl replied "If your son doesn't die on Tatooine, he'll come here, along with the rest of the Rebellion. And the Emperor will use you as bait. He knows that your son, if given the chance, will come to you. And, if he has your son in front of him, he will try to turn him."

Vader shrugged. "My son will survive Tatooine, and when he comes to us, we will turn him. I don't see..."

He broke off in shock as the girl hit him. Her fist drove his shoulder back, even as she kicked out, driving his feet out from beneath him. He hit the floor, and before he could react, her lightsaber hummed at his throat. "You don't see" she echoed sarcastically, face twisted into a mask of bitter rage. "You're going to condemn your son to the kind of life you've had, the future that I would have if I hadn't managed to break away?" She spat a curse at him which a younger part of Vader's mind recognised and appreciated. The rest of him, however, became angry. But before he could counter her accusation, she lifted the saber and deactivated it, replacing it at her hip.

Enraged, Vader surged to his feet and reached out through the Force, gripping her throat. He would just kill her now, before she destroyed the Empire that he'd served...

"Besides," the girl said, calm despite her choking gasps, "if your son turns, you won't be around to see it."

Vader tightened his grip angrily ... then released it.

She smiled at him. "One has to ask oneself how my father plans to turn Jedi Skywalker. Threats? Persuasion? Asking nicely? No, as far as he's concerned, the best way to turn your son to the Dark side, and also bind Skywalker to him is for your son to kill you."

Vader stumbled away from the girl, shaking his head. "No. No, he wouldn't. I have served him well,"

"and this will be your reward." She shrugged. "Still, I suppose it depends on whether you're willing to die for your Master or not."

Vader shook his head mechanically, trying to deny it. "Luke couldn't kill me".

"Perhaps not. You might kill him instead, if that's what you want. But, I wouldn't recommend it, for a number of reasons."

Vader reached out and touched the wall, leaning against it for reassurance. He looked at the girl, and realised that she was standing at the edge of insanity. Her bitter hatred of her father warring with other emotions just as strong, and the conflict was tearing at her. "What is your alternative?" he asked quietly.

"I will arrange a meeting with your son for you. On Endor. While the rest of the Rebellion destroy the Death Star. You and he can talk. Properly, and come to some kind of decision. Try and turn each other, try and kill each other, I don't really care. But my father's not going to be any part of it. You stand or fall alone."

"And what will you be doing?"

The girl smiled. An evil, cold smile. "My father and I should talk. Briefly. The Rebellion will be allowed to destroy the battle station - I'll make sure of it. If you confront your son on the planet, you'll probably survive."

Vader stood in silence, looking at the equally silent girl. He'd thought earlier, about killing the Emperor, ruling with his son, but decided that Luke needed the Emperor's training as well, at least at first. But if the Emperor was going to have him killed anyway... It might all be a trick on Cari's part, or even a plot of the Emperor's. Essentially, he had to determine who he was willing to trust, the Emperor, or the Emperor's daughter.

"Can you really arrange a meeting with my son?"

Cari smiled. "Count on it."

The room was silent, except for Vader's breathing. For a long moment the two confronted each other, then Vader extended his hand. Cari smiled again, and reached out, sealing the bargain.

On Dagobah, Cari got her first look at Luke Skywalker. Fairly tall, with dark blond hair, he stood in the swamp, surrounded by his astromech droid, his X-wing ship (obviously a new one) and what appeared to be the ghost of an old man. Cari frowned, not quite sure what to make of that one. She smiled cheerfully at the young man, who appeared to be only a few years older than her. She'd had a few bad moments on Tatooine, arriving too late to see the ships depart after the rescue of Captain Solo. But several sources on the ground (smugglers and information sellers) confirmed that the Millennium Falcon and the X-wing had gone off in different directions, and she'd determined where she could find Skywalker to make her bargain. So, back once again to Dagobah...

He looked at her, raising his eyebrows, and asked cautiously "Who are you?"

Cari smiled, and told him. Ignoring the amazed whistle of the astromech droid, and the concerned comment of the blue imaged ghostly figure she began to tell him exactly why she was there, and, in time, a bargain was struck.


	4. Confrontation

Disclaimer: All of the characters, except Cari, are not my own in any way, shape or form, and I do not claim them as such.

Chapter 4: Confrontation

Cari walked through the doors of the turbolift, into the throne room of the Death Star. Turning to the red robed guard on her right, she murmured softly "You can go now". Both guards, the one on her left as well as the one on her right, left the throne room, unable to resist against the power of the Force she used on their minds.

She mounted the steps, and walked towards the throne her father was sat in. 

"I was expecting Lord Vader". His voice sent a shiver of nausea running through her, as did his actual presence. Now, he was repulsive, the feel of his mind much more distasteful to her than the faces of even the most extremely different aliens. The last vestiges of anti-alien sentiment that had been carefully trained into her since childhood were washed away.

Cari nodded. "Vader couldn't come. He has interests somewhere else." The Emperor, her father, stiffened, and she felt him trying to get into her mind. She resisted him, not because she didn't want him to know the truth, but because she'd rather say it out loud, rather not have him crawling around in her mind.

"You've lost, father". She tried to keep her voice soft and even, tried to push away some of the anger and hatred she felt towards him.

He smiled at her. "Oh, I think not."

"I think so," she countered. "Vader won't be coming here, with or without his son. They decided to have a nice on-planet reconciliation, see the trees, feel the ground under foot, hear the birds singing."

The Emperor frowned, and abruptly stood up from his chair. "What have you done?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago, father" she smiled at him. He looked at her, then glanced out of the window that led out into space. A hint of excitement tightened his features - if he hadn't got the challenge of turning Luke Skywalker to look forward to, at least he could enjoy the destruction of the Rebel fleet. She was quite glad that she'd managed to convince Skywalker to meet his father on the planet. He shouldn't have to meet her father. He was still too naive, too innocent to realise what her father could do him. No, she decided, best to leave her father to people like her, who knew what he was capable of, and, if necessary, might even be able to match it.

"Any second now" she commented.

"What?"

She walked away from him, towards the window. As she did, there was a flicker of psuedo-motion, and the Rebel fleet exited from hyperspace. "That" she said, nodding towards the fleet. "That was what you were expecting?" She stared out of the window for a second longer, then turned back towards her father. "Unfortunately, if you knew that they were coming, then they also knew that you knew that they were coming.". She smiled, appreciating the irony.

"What have you done?" her father hissed, surging towards her. Coolly she stepped away, heading back towards the steps, keeping her front towards her father.

"A short while ago, all the troops on Endor were sent a message, informing them of a change in orders. The bunker is now unguarded, as is the forest approach to it. The troops are quite happily guarding some distance away. The message had the highest codes attached to it, informing them that this order came from the Emperor himself. The same codes you taught me." She laughed quietly, the sound of laughter at something that isn't very amusing, but is painful to someone. "And so, the fleet arrives just in time for their ground troops to disable the shield around this station. We are, if not now, then, very soon, defenceless."

Keeping both eyes on her, her father stepped slowly backwards towards his chair, and when he reached it, leant down and hit the comm switch, preparing to communicate with the crew on the Death Star. As he flicked the switch, nothing happened.

"Did I forget to mention," Cari inquired sweetly, "that my last act before coming here was to disable your communication systems, and orders have been given that you are not to be disturbed, whatever happens? Well, I did."

Her father stared grimly at her for a long moment, then slowly lifted his hands. "Did you think it would be that easy?" he asked viciously, and blue-white lightening streaked out towards his daughter. And met a Force shield, and splashed harmlessly off.

"Did you?" she countered coolly, and lifting her hand sent green-white lightning streaking back towards her father. Which also met a shield, and did no harm. For a long, silent moment, father and daughter stared at each other.

Down on Endor, the shield generator exploded, shattering the comparative silence. Leia stared at the destruction, her mind not on the present view, but with her brother. Han touched her gently on the shoulder, and she turned, looking into his dark, concerned eyes. After a huge, internal battle, she'd finally told him who she was, about her brother, her father. She shook her head, and whispered softly "I have to go to him, Han."

Han stared at her, then smiled fondly, and shook his head. Somehow, she could "feel" his desperate fear, and matching anger, but he just shrugged, and said "I'll go get us a couple of speed bikes. You know where we're going?"

"'We' aren't going anywhere" she snapped furiously, but he just gave her a lopsided grin, and, turning, loped off down towards the speed bikes they'd "liberated" from the bunker. She headed down after him. Yes, she did know where to go, she could feel her brother, and it was that, nothing else, that made her decide that she had to see her father for herself, to see if Luke had told the truth. She just hoped that Luke could protect them.

She sighed softly. This was definitely not one of her better ideas.

"Aren't you proud father? You trained me well. I've thought of everything. I even disabled the Death Star's firing beam. There is, quite literally, nothing left for me to do, except come and say goodbye." Cari smiled at her father.

"Why? Why have you betrayed me like this?"

"When you're prepared to betray anyone to get your own way? You would have sold Vader to his own son, urged one to kill the other. But no, the real reason, father," she spat with sudden viciousness "is that you have made me into nothing. Wouldn't train me to become a Sith, and I could never become a Jedi. Force trained, and with no heritage. You made me into nothing more than your servant. And you really should not have done that. You don't love me, don't care for me, don't even see me as anything more than someone to further you schemes, and no, Father, it really is too late to begin denying it. Far, far too late." 

Cari glanced out of the window. She hadn't been able to do anything about the fleet without attracting too much attention, but her father had given orders that the larger ships only keep the rebels "from escaping". All the rebels had to do was deal with the Tie fighters, which shouldn't be too much trouble. She could feel a ship sweeping into the Death Star even now. "Not much longer, father."

He panicked then, the first time she'd ever seen her father lose control. He lifted his hand and sent wave after wave of lightning sweeping towards her. Which she met and countered with equal ferocity, the strange mixture of hate, and desire to rid the universe of a terrible evil giving her strength in the Force.

"You're going to die, Father."

"And what about you?" he snapped, the strain obvious in his voice.

"Me? Oh, I'm going to die too. You see, I could have just let you die when this Station explodes, but I wanted to see you die, for you to know who did this to you, to kill you myself if possible. And that desire, I'm afraid, comes from the Dark side of the Force. So, I'm going to kill you, and then die myself when the Death Star blows up. I could escape, and Skywalker would try and help redeem me, but it's too much of a risk, and I don't think I'm cut out for life in the Light side of the Force. After all, I am your daughter."

Despite the fear she could feel from him, her father smiled. "You won't stay. If you kill me, you'll remember how much you enjoyed the power you had. You won't give up so easily. Even if I die, the Universe is still fated to be ruled by one of my line."

"No" she said softly, and now her face was calm and serene. "I won't. And do you want to know why? Because of Yoda. You failed in your attempts to rid the galaxy of Jedi, and even after Kenobi, Yoda was left alive. Old, tired, and grieving at what has been done to the Galaxy, and he still cared enough to try and help me. I owe him, and I will pay that debt, in the best way I know how. We're finished Father."

The Emperor gave a howl of rage and bitterness, and lightning flared once again from his fingertips, but again Cari met him, and matched him, lightning from him and lightning from her meeting in the middle, striving against each other, and this time she won. Wave after wave of lightning surged from her, without her really understanding how she was creating it. And then, her father died.

The Dark energy within him swept out in a howling wave, sweeping her off her feet, flinging her down the stairs, and finally smashing into a pillar. For a long moment she lay there, blood trickling down the side of her face. Finally, she managed to drag herself upright and stood, swaying. She turned, intending to head back up the stairs, and watch out of the window, and then stopped, and stood, undecided. There might still be enough time. She could go, and save the Battle Station, prevent it from being blown up. The Rebellion could probably do with a weapon of this kind, to help keep others in line, and defeat the remnants of the Empire, and she could help them, and...

She laughed softly, real laughter, for all that it was ragged and tired. "One last trick, Father" she inquired softly to thin air, and then, blinking her eyes against double vision, she reached down and pulled the Lightsaber from her belt. She ignited it, listening to the hum echo through the huge room, staring at the dark green blade. She wondered, would she die in an explosion of Dark energy, as evil as her father, or would her death be more quiet, more normal than the life she'd ever led? Shrugging one last time, she flipped the saber round, and drove it through her heart. 

There was no pain.

For a moment the saber hung in the air, as if undecided, then it tumbled to the ground, and once it hit, switched itself off. Of Cari, daughter of the Emperor Palpatine, there was no sign. In the end, she, like Yoda, had been accepted into the Force.

Shortly afterwards, Lando Calrissian destroyed the Death Star.

On Endor, Vader felt the death of the Emperor, his Master, and staggered, falling to his knees as the pain washed through him. Slowly, fighting against the wrenching pain, he looked up. His son stared down at him in concern. Now was his time, Vader knew. With the Emperor dead, all he had to do was turn his son, and they could rule the Galaxy together. But ... the thought wasn't as appealing as it had been. A huge void had opened up inside him, torn there by the death of the Emperor, and all the dark power he could throw at this void couldn't close it. It would be there forever, the knowledge that he hadn't done anything to save his Master, had betrayed him. But there was a way. Vader could feel the love his son offered him, flickering at the edge of his own mind. A gift so freely given, despite what it might cost the boy. He'd already freely acknowledged that if this meeting hadn't been arranged, he would have tried to reach his father another way. While part of Vader's mind laughed in scorn at the boy's feeble notion, another part of it rejoiced.

Vader's mind hung in the balance, as he knelt on the ground of Endor, surrounded by trees, and plants, the cool air washing over him and the whole planet echoing through the Force, strong with light. As Vader struggled with Anakin within his mind, the latter truly given power for the first time in so many years, a small sound made Vader and his son look to the left.

Leia stood at the edge of the clearing, staring at her brother. And at Vader. Han hung worriedly at her side, preparing to back her up despite the fact that he thought it was a stupid idea. Luke looked at her with relief, and she could see the strain on his face. And the cuts, and bruises. They'd obviously been fighting, and anger flared up in Leia. She stepped forwards, to stand protectively at her brother's side, Han trailing nervously after her. She stood, staring coolly at the dark masked figure who slowly straightened in front of her. Luke grasped her hand in his, and slowly reached his left one out to his father. Their father. Her father.

"Father, please" he said softly, and somehow Leia could "see" the conflict in her father's mind, could feel the hope in Luke's, and for her brother's sake, if not her father's, she took the first step towards forgiving him, and slowly, held out her hand.

The Rebellion defeated the Empire that day, although the actual cleaning up of Empire troops took a lot longer. The Jedi again began to roam the universe, strengthening peace and justice, and with the guidance of one idealistic, younger Skywalker, the wariness and knowledge of an older Skywalker, and the compassion and wisdom of a third Skywalker, the New Republic and the Jedi worked in peace and harmony, trying to avoid the mistakes that had once led to the Empire.

In time, Anakin Skywalker was healed, both mentally and physically, through the application of bacta, healing from the light side of the Force, and a large amount of love. Eventually, the new Republic accepted him, forgiving the terrible deeds of his past, and giving him a new chance. He lived long enough to see his three grandchildren grow to become Jedi in their own right, then died peacefully, surrounded by his family. In death, he was reunited with his old mentor - Obi-wan Kenobi, as well as Yoda, and a young girl, whose bravery despite herself had made the bright future possible. Vader, and the Emperor's daughter were no more, and Anakin Skywalker, and the girl known finally as Cari, were at peace.


End file.
